E-Levy: Gov’t not targeting the impoverished; we are taxing an industry with a lot of value – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has rubbished allegations that his government is targeting already impoverished Ghanaians with the introduction of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).

Speaking to BBC in an interview in the UK on Monday, April 5, 2022, the President argued that his government is only focusing on raking in revenue from an industry where a lot of value is being created.

“We think it is necessary, they’re not already impoverished, we are talking about taxing an industry where a lot of value is being created and we want to also bring that value into government’s coffers,” H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo told BBC’s Peter Okwoche.

President Akufo-Addo further explained, “It is not only Ghana that has digital tax… People never like taxes, I don’t know any group of people, especially businesses when taxes are brought to them that like it.”

During the interview, the Ghana President also refuted claims that his country’s economy is performing terribly as compared to other economies.

In his argument, the President said no economy is doing well in the global Coronavirus pandemic and the geopolitics of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“I don’t know the economy in the world that is doing well. The Cedi has begun to firm up. The world is going through a difficult [moment], Ghana is no exception, Nigeria is no exception. There is no country in the world that is escaping the ravages of Covid-19 and also the impact of the [Russia-Ukraine conflict].

“In Ghana, the recovery programme we have is very credible and that is what is going to give us the opportunity to come out of this period a stronger economy, and it is that future we are looking at,” President Akufo-Addo said.